Don’t throw away your suits just yet
Regardless of your political disposition, you can't argue that India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a spiffy man. He would wear lush three-piece tweed suits in Cambridge before switching over to achkans and his eponymous bandh collar jackets. His close aide and former defence minister, VK Krishna Menon, was equally on point, placing his pen at a calculated distance from his pocket square and carrying a cane to leverage the appeal of his double-breasted suit. Around the same time, JRD Tata set the tone for business dressing—a two-piece suit with wide lapels set off by a perfectly knotted tie and matching pocket square. Tata was a creature of his era, part of a generation of men who made an effort to present themselves well. They dressed up for work, and wearing a tie bar on a jacquard cravat or a meticulously tailored suit was standard. Today, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone with the same aura unless you were looking at a vintage photograph.
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JRD Tata was part of a generation of men who made an effort to present themselves well. Image: Getty
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Richard Gere in American Gigolo
Unlike old-world tailoring that carried elegance—the kind you could go to a local darzi to get stitched—fashion designers were on a completely different wavelength. In 1975, Giorgio Armani and Sergio Galeotti promoted the first macho suit dripping with sex appeal. Before becoming a titan, Armani was a medical student, and he knew just how to play up the physical form. He removed the rigid architecture of the shoulders and chest and softened the fit of the jacket. It encouraged the body underneath to shine—wear the suit and not let the suit wear you. Who can forget Richard Gere gyrating in American Gigolo, wearing Armani? It's no secret that the Italians know what's up when it comes to world-class tailoring. Yet, it wasn't until the all-American Tom Ford hit the scene that a new world woke up.
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Today, suiting up is more about making a fashion statement: Ermenegildo Zegna, Menswear SS22
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You're seeing a good mix of comfortable alternatives to the formal suit: Tom Ford, Menswear Fall 22
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Today's tailoring comes nowhere close to yesteryear's rigid fits: Thom Browne, Menswear Pre Fall 22
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Sarah & Sandeep's safari suit is a comfortable alternative to a formal one
Time to Shine
As we moved from the decadent '80s to the hedonistic '90s, no designer captured the sweat-drenched, out-all-night energy better than Ford, who became Gucci's creative director in 1994. Flamboyance had begun fading, and Ford wanted to bring sexy back: sharp-shouldered jackets, a tapered waist and ass-hugging flared trousers. It was thankfully a slap in the face for then trending frumpy khakis. And fashionable tailoring was getting steamier and bigger. Ford's velvet suits set the trail for a new male archetype: the metrosexual and muscular body was just personal hygiene. In 2000, Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme did a 180-degree switch with his signature skinny black suit that didn't go beyond a size 0. Even late Karl Lagerfeld dropped 40kg to wear one. A year later, Thom Browne launched a tailoring shop, giving the world idiosyncratic cropped blazers to go with tailored shorts. But does any of it still matter today? You're not a celebrity. You're not going to the Oscars. If you showed up anywhere in a plush and tight velvet three-piece, people are going to wonder why you're still wearing your Halloween costume. So, who's investing in a suit out of these mega brands for a product you don't know where to wear, possibly how to wear, and at a time when you have access to an ever-growing bouquet of more 'with it' labels? Surely one classic black or navy suit in your wardrobe should be good enough?
Don't sweat it
"While Gen Z and millennials are more obsessed with luxury streetwear, they are also conscious of adopting sustainable practices, including trying to consume less or paying a premium for better-made clothes," says Delhi-based designer Ashish N Soni, who celebrates 30 years in fashion this year. "This and the pandemic has changed the consumption of tailored clothing but not forever. Men may not buy five suits a year but will still buy a couple," he says. Sandeep Gonsalves, who makes up one half of the luxury designer label Sarah & Sandeep that offers a fine bespoke experience, adds, "2020 was pretty horrible, while 2021 had its ups and downs. The smaller labels were very badly affected, many of which didn't survive. While collection and campaign budgets have been slashed across the industry, we're seeing a sharp rise over the last five or six months."
In an age of disruption, where the word lockdown infiltrated our minds and sweats were more comforting than the arms of your significant other, you'd think that it wasn't just small labels but the whole tailoring industry that would come crashing down. But suit makers hold a massive trump card. "Ironically, in the premium design spectrum, the only brands that didn't sell out during the pandemic were tailoring houses. Consumption was slower but what we all have is a loyal client base. Many Delhi tailors are doing far better than couture designers," says Mumbai-based premier brand Troy Costa.
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But who's suiting up? "A very niche audience, making up the super-rich and rich," says Troy Costa
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"Ironically, in the premium design spectrum, the only brands that didn't sell out during the pandemic were tailoring houses," says Troy Costa
But who's suiting up? "A very niche audience, making up the super-rich and rich. There are also people who buy wedding wear that doubles up as workwear." There was a time when it was almost blasphemous to show up to work in pared-down clothes. A blazer was mandatory in a boardroom or an external meeting, especially if you were trying to take a client's money. Costa adds, "The rules of hybrid living are more relaxed, but bespoke and custom-made suits, shirts and trousers will always remain a key part of a man's wardrobe. Size matters. Everything is made at 38 or 40. Realistically, how many Indian men have the perfect body to shop off the rack if they're looking for even a hint of formal dressing?"
Future Proof
There's obviously the wedding market, too, where every guy needs at least one suit and the 'old is gold' adage doesn't work. "Bespoke tailoring has become the norm because young men can't handle the fact that everyone's already seen a garment on an Instagram page. There's also the fear that a person may show up wearing exactly what you're wearing," says Costa.
Today, suiting up is more about making a fashion statement, especially for the present generation. And it comes nowhere close to the rigid fits that your grandfather wore as a daily uniform. Gonsalves says, "younger folk are very inspired by global silhouettes and styling formats. The relaxed tailoring trend continues for non-wedding events. Even tailored athleisure is being incorporated vastly in their travels. You're seeing a good mix of comfortable alternatives to the formal suit."It's no surprise that tailoring will never be wiped out of the menswear lexicon. The most compelling pandemic suit came out in March last year, right before the global lockdown when Zegna collaborated with Jerry Lorenzo's Fear of God. There was no formality to it but a loungey aesthetic layered with sophistication to remind guys who buy a suit today that you need to look for more than just tailoring; you're seeking a vibe. There are no rules. No two inches of cuff showing. Comfort is key, and the personality your suit emits is an extension of who you are. One that says, 'when you look good, you feel good'. It doesn't matter if you aren't the fittest guy around. The whole purpose of modern-day, bespoke suiting is that it allows you a lot more legroom.
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Tom Ford's velvet suits set the trail for a new male archetype
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